The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-02-18
THE COUNTY BOARD COMMITTEES
REPLY TO MR.. SIMMONS!

0cN1AEM EN.- L Jul COLuutGL6C up-
pointed at a special meeting of the
County Board convened Feb. Z, 1887,
to prepare true and impartial state
ment of the acts of said Board, beg
leave to submit the following report:
That, inasmuch as all the official acts
of said Board are matter of record,
and as no controversy has arisen in re-
gard to but one or two of said acts, to
wit, the construction of our county
buildings and the call for special
meeting of the Board to appoint a
County Treasurer to fill vacancy caused
by death of III. E. Clark, therefore
your committee do not think it advis-
able to enter into the details of only
these two matters, as we are notaware
that exceptions have been taken to any
other business done by the Board, con-
sequently it needs no explanation.
In regard to the county buildings.
Their construction under the man
agement of Hon. z. G. Simmons is also
on record; his promise before the
Board to construct Jail and sheriff's
residence, combined, like or equal to
the Jail and sherIff's residence at Elk
horn, in Walworth county, is also mat
ter of record, which has been publish
ed and can be read by every citizen in
Kenosha county. We do not purpose at
this time to make any comments in re-
gard to this building, as the building
is the best evidence that can be pro-
duced to show whether in this Mr..
Simmons fulfilled his promise. In re-
gard to the court house we have only this
to say, that we'leave it with the tax-pay-
ers Of Kenosha county to decide wheth-
er an expenditure of between ten and
fifteen thousand dollars used in the
construction of the lower story Of said
court house, which the county does not
need, is paying investment. If they
decide it is, then the credit is due Mr..
Simmons, as it is certainly one Of the
results of his being heard by the Coun-
ty Board. o-''9s''
In regard to the appointment of
County Treasurer we would state that
on the 9TH day of January, 1887, while
our County Clerk was making out the
papers tor the appointment of deputy
for our County Treasurer in favor of
the son of Mr.. 2. G. Simmons, and be-
fore they were finished, the news came
to our County Clerk that Mr.. Clark
was dead. He Immediately asked oar
Chairman what should be done. The
answer was: Call a meeting of the
County Board as soon as possible. Mr..
E. G. Timme, Secretary of State, being
present. concurred In the opinion. AS
Mr.. Clark had no deputy, the Office had
no representative. consequently no bus,
mess could be transacted, and it being
the time when Town Treasurers were
required to pay in the state tax the in
terests of the county demanded i'm
mediate action. A meeting of the
Board was therefore called in the
shorest time possible in compliance
with the statutes. In making this call
there were five members present who
signed it; two others were to be teIe-
graphed for their signatures. but, IN
the hurry, it appears there was mis-
understanding. Our Clerk thought the
Chairman had done it, and the Chair
man thought the Clerk would do it.
and when the error was discovered it
was too late for either one of them to
do it. Our Chairman and Clerk feeling
that the vacancy should be filled as
soon as possible, and knowing that
each member would have due notice,
and. further, having the precedent on
record of Boards of Emergency having
been convened and business transacted |
in forty-six hours, and no exceptions
taken, and knowing that in the present
case no advantage could be taken of |
members or individuals, decided to hold |
the meeting, as they did not believe
that under the circumstances any per-
son would be small enough to take ad- |
vantage of so small an error. In this |
it seems they were mistaken, as Mr.. |
Simmons refused to give up the money |
deposited in his bank by our late Treas
urer to, as he termed it, our so-caIled |
Treasurer. We are informed that at |
the time of the meeting above alluded |
to Mr.. Simmons did not insist upon the
fulfillment of the law to the letter at |
that time. His brother, Rouse Sim
mons, was chairman, and half of the
funds were deposited with him. This
undoubtedly prevented the record from
looking so black at that time as at the
present. Our chairman, in order to
quiet all questions that might arise,
deemed it better to call another meet
ing of the Board, which resulted in the |
unanimous vote for the same person
appointed at the first meeting, with an
additional expense to the county of |
nearly one hundred dollars, and. unlike
the court house question, this is un-
1oubtedly the result of Mr.. Simmons
not being heard by the Board, as he
claims. J